Electronic teaching boards, also referred to as digital blackboards or digiboards for short, are increasingly being applied in education and in other places where people work together, such as offices. An electronic teaching board is an interactive teaching board connected to a computer with associated control software. Diverse operations can be carried out on the electronic teaching board. As with a standard blackboard, usually a chalkboard, instructions can be written thereon manually and can now be digitally stored using the computer. In addition, computer images can be shown thereon.
An example of a commonly used type of electronic teaching board is an electronic whiteboard. The electronic whiteboard co-acts with a video projector (also referred to as a beamer) with which the images, including presentations, internet pages, films and so on can be shown on the electronic whiteboard.
In the present situation these electronic whiteboards are generally mounted fixedly on the wall at the front of the classroom. The projector is fixed to the ceiling or on a wall bracket. In a number of cases the electronic whiteboards are height-adjustable, the projector then co-displacing on an arm. The existing chalkboard is usually removed; a traditional whiteboard is often also mounted to enable writing of annotations to be kept for longer.
EP 1785064 describes an example of a mounting system for mounting an electronic teaching board on a surface, wherein the position of the electronic teaching board is height-adjustable.
Owing to the arrangement of the electronic teaching board at the front all students are greatly involved in the presentation on the board. In a number of cases this is desirable, in other cases it is better if the attention of the whole class is not directed at the digiboard, for instance if the instruction or presentation is intended for only one group in a combined class or if instruction is being given to a relatively small group of students who are having problems with the subject matter or who, on the contrary, are engaged in more in-depth or advanced study. Students to whom the presented material is of no interest may be distracted by it.
In recent years education has become increasingly adaptive: this means that differences between students are taken into account. Inherent to this are working in groups, processing subject matter independently, researching, optionally together with others. In addition, a teacher increasingly gives instruction to groups of students, or he/she acts increasingly as a coach/mentor.